Inheritance
by lady faine
Summary: Sequel to Forbidden. Asmodeus's death left hell in complete chaos and Sebastian refuses to return to set things right. Of course, his refusal leaves Nicco as the only male heir, and unfortunately he isn't hell's ideal leader. So in order to put a stop to the rising number of eaten souls, the shinigami decide to step in and set things right, possibly altering Nicco forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Oh my goodness guys, I can't believe I am writing this! I wasn't planning to write a sequel but so many of you guys requested one and then an idea for a sequel hit me while I was watching Supernatural. So here it is, everyone! Hope everyone enjoys :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters.**

* * *

Sebastian didn't even pause making tea when he felt his presence. "The answer is no, Damian," Sebastian stated firmly without turning around.

"You have a duty you know. You might as well own up to your place," Damian said, picking up a porcelain cup and swinging it around his finger by its handle.

"You can try to convince me as many times as you wish, but the answer will always remain no."

Damian nodded in understanding. "Things are getting worse down there, you know."

"Yes, well I suppose sixteen years without a leader would do that to any place," Sebastian replied.

"I hate to say it, but they need guidance, Lucifer."

"My name is Sebastian."

"You have been topside for far too long," Damian stated and glanced out the kitchen window to see Corinna picking roses with a young boy. Slowly he moved to the window to watch the two. "But I can understand why you stay."

"Touch her and I will kill you," Sebastian said, his eyes glowing crimson as he finally straightened to look at Damian.

"Relax, I wasn't planning on harming anyone or getting near any of your precious family. I simply came to try to convince you to come back home," Damian said, his silver eyes clashing with Sebastian's red ones.

"This is my home. I have no reason to go back to hell and every reason to stay up here," Sebastian said, gazing at Corinna through the window.

"I understand. That's all I needed to hear. I promise never to bother you again," Damian said.

"I don't want anyone else coming either," Sebastian stated.

"Well, I can't prevent that. No one listens to anyone of authority anymore. Just stay alert," Damian warned, and quickly disappeared.

* * *

"He refused," William stated as he walked briskly into Alexander's office. The head reaper glanced at William in surprise.

"Again?" He asked, repositioning his glasses.

"Yes, sir. And this time the demons have accepted it."

"Stupid demon. Does he even realize the chaos he's causing be not resuming his rightful place? He killed his own father, he should at least set things right and put an end to all this rampant demon activity," Alexander spat, standing and pacing. "All over the world souls are being eaten right and left, leaving nothing for use to collect. If this continues much longer, I will have to get rid of hundreds of reapers."

"Sir, if I may suggest something," William spoke up and Alexander regarded him intently. "I have been watching the boy for quite some time now and although he doesn't have the ideal personality, he is the only male heir," William continued.

"Those filthy demons won't want a weakling like him as their leader, even if tradition does call for a male heir. And don't you dare suggest editing his records, it's against regulations."

"Sir, it is the only option we have. If the boy becomes their ideal leader, they'll recruit him in a heartbeat and order will be restored," William pointed out. "I hate to go against regulations, as you well know, but for the good of the company's future, this must be done."

Alexander nodded slowly. "It's a good thing we didn't kill him before he was born. Very well, we will edit his records. We just need him to stop doing things long enough for us to edit things."

"I will send out Ronald immediately, sir."

* * *

Nevaeh laughed delicately as she linked her arm with Nicco's. "Just look all those young ladies Nicco. I am making them all green with envy by simply walking with you."

Nicco smiled slightly down at his sister. "I'm more concerned about the men staring at you. I believe I may lose my head if I take you out for a stroll again."

"Oh don't let those silly men bother you," Nevaeh said, hitting Nicco playfully.

"I dearly missed our strolls when I was off at school," Nicco stated causing Nevaeh to sigh dramatically.

"Must you ruin the lovely afternoon with your moping, Nicco? Honestly, every time you speak of that damn school it irritates the hell out of me. Ever since you went there, all I ever hear about it is whining."

"Nevaeh, please watch your speech in public," Nicco said softly.

"Just take me home. Papa will have a fit if we aren't home in time for lunch," Nevaeh said, brushing at her perfectly spotless dress.

Nicco sighed and led his sister down the path and back to the townhouse. "Forgive me," Nicco said after quite some time of silence.

Nevaeh smiled. "I've already forgiven you. You know I can't stay angry with you for very long. I-"

Nicco suddenly froze in his footsteps, startling Nevaeh into silence. Nicco looked around them carefully, scanning the faces of the people passing them by and Nevaeh followed his gaze.

"What is it?" Nevaeh whispered, wondering whether she should be worried or not. Her brother wasn't one to become so tense over anything. In fact, she didn't even think she'd ever seen him react so strongly. Normally Nicco was very mild-mannered and calm, taking to reading in solitude rather than social events. He was even referred to as the angel of society- a title that always gave Nevaeh a horrible fit of laughter. But she wasn't laughing now. "Nicco?" She asked again, shaking his arm slightly.

Nicco slowly turned his head to look at his sister. "Let's hurry home," he insisted quietly.

"Why? What is it?" Nevaeh demanded, and when Nicco continued to drag her along at his swift pace, she yanked her arm free and stopped to stare at him. "Tell me what it is," she hissed, her ruby eyes glittering with slight fear.

Nicco looked at her, guilt washing over him. Silently he held out his hand and pulled her along again, this time slightly slower. "I feel as if I'm being followed lately. I haven't seen anyone but that doesn't make the feeling any less real," he informed her in a hushed tone.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nevaeh asked, clearly hurt that he'd keep something like that from her.

"I didn't want you to worry, and I definitely didn't want you to tell Mama and especially not father about this." Nicco pulled Nevaeh to a stop and looked down at her. "Promise me you won't breath a word of this to them."

Nevaeh pulled away and straightened her hat. "I believe we should tell them."

"Nevaeh promise me."

"Nicco, what if you're up against something you can't handle?" Nevaeh hissed.

"All the more reason to not tell father. He will want to step in, and dammit I'm a grown man Nevaeh, I can handle things on my own. Just promise me you won't tell anyone."

Nevaeh looked at the ground and then back up at her brother. "Fine, I won't tell them," she relented. "But if you get into trouble I will have no remorse over having father give you a good beating and rubbing it in your face that I was right," she warned him, tapping his chest with her finger. "Now let's hurry home before we cause a spectacle here in the park."

"A spectacle? Nevaeh, we already are spectacles," Nicco laughed. "Everywhere we go, people stare and now that this is our second season in society and the both of us are still unmarried, it causes everyone to watch us even more. They're wondering why I haven't been shackled yet and why you haven't accepted any of the proposals given to you."

"Well obviously they don't know Mama very well. Goodness knows she'd have a fit if I ever accepted a marriage proposal from someone I wasn't madly in love with," Nevaeh laughed softly.

Nicco nodded, a soft smile spreading across his lips. "She's very brave to go against society like that and encourage us to find marriage based on love rather than money or status."

"Well how can she not tell us that when she's married to the love of her life? It would be slightly unfair, don't you think? Besides, she was in a loveless married before we were born, so she knows how miserable that life can be."

Nicco led Nevaeh back to the manor and left as soon as she was safely inside the house. He decided to head down to White's for several games of cards with anyone of interest there at this time of day. He often found himself spending much of his time nowadays at the elite establishment, and being from one of the richest families in England, he was naturally welcomed into the club with open arms.

Going to White's was about as much social interaction he could tolerate since it was the only place where overbearing mothers weren't trying to fling their daughters at him. Even walking down the street or in the park was a task in itself since he had to dutifully avoid being lured into taking young ladies on outings. But by far, balls and the like were the worst. Sometimes he was able to hide out in the card room or in the library and avoid the dancing, but more times than not he was somehow trapped into dancing with girls.

Nicco sighed, and straightened his hat as he continued on his way and silently cursed the money his family possessed. If Nicco were poor and ugly he wouldn't be considered one of the most eligible bachelors in London and perhaps he may even lead a peaceful life.

Nicco glanced up just in time to see Lady Carter and her terribly plain daughter headed in his direction.

Quickly, Nicco turned to one of the alleys next to him, trying to avoid being seen and ran into a woman accidentally. Without even seeing who she was, he clamped his hand over her mouth and held onto her as he pressed them against the brick wall in the alley. The young woman squirmed, and Nicco moved slightly to whisper into her ear, "Please just be quiet and remain still. I won't hurt you. I'm just trying to avoid Lady Carter."

The woman seemed to stop struggling, obviously knowing that Lady Carter was one of the shrewdest mothers in London, having married off her other four daughters, all of them quite attractive in fact, to wealthy men with titles. Now Susan was the only daughter left and unfortunately she hadn't gotten her mother's good looks as well.

Nicco felt terrible for avoiding them, but it was the same with every young woman he met. He couldn't find anyone that inspired any interest in him. Nicco pressed against the woman in the darkness, giving them better cover in the shadows as Lady Carter and Miss Susan walked passed. As soon as the two of them were passed the alley, Nicco became hyper aware of the soft curves pressing against him. He pressed his forehead against hers and tightened his restrain on himself to prevent some sort of scandalous episode. Carefully he removed his hand from her mouth.

"I believe they are gone, sir," the woman whispered, her breath tickling Nicco's features.

"Do I know you?" Nicco asked slowly, surprised by how familiar her voice sounded. He leaned back slightly, trying to see if he recognized her face, but it was difficult to make out in the darkness.

"I don't believe so, sir. I would remember meeting someone like you," she answered.

"I've kept you here long enough, forgive me," Nicco said quietly and slowly released her.

The woman moved away from him carefully and then walked back out into the sunlit street, careful not to be seen. She didn't look back. Nicco watched after her silently, wishing he had thought to ask her name.

"Next time get a room, demon," A voice said behind him and he spun around, just in time to be hit in the head with something awfully heavy. Nicco groaned and slid to the floor painfully, darkness consuming him before he even hit the ground

* * *

**I don't know how I feel about this first chapter, but my friends enjoyed it, so I hope you will too. ^.^ Please leave your lovely reviews and until the next chapter. OH! And if you like vampire knight, I recently created a new story called See No Evil, its a crossover between Vampire Knight and Kuroshitsuji.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone! ^.^ Thank you to everyone for your reviews. And to answer your question, THE NERD KID ON THE BLOCK, about sixteen years have passed since the end of Forbidden, putting the twins in their late teens. And Sacha Michaelis, **** I hope that this chapter answers your question as to whether Corinna is still in her blood lust state. And Black Michaelis, I imagine that Nicco would look very much like our dear Sebby-chan, so he probably is hot, hahaha :D Enjoy everyone!**

* * *

"Corinna, your tea is ready," Sebastian said gently, causing the young woman to glance up from the rose she was twirling in her fingers.

She offered Sebastian a slight smile. "Thank you, Sebastian. I will be there shortly."

Sebastian took the gloved hand resting in her lap and slipped the glove off slowly. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Scared," Corinna replied simply, her eyes falling back down to the rose in her other hand. "I'm not feeling well Sebastian, and I don't know how long it will be until I have another episode." She looked back up at Sebastian, tears brimming those lovely dark eyes of hers. "Why don't you just kill me?"

Sebastian pulled Corinna into his arms in the blink of an eye and stroked her cheek softly. "I could never kill you."

"I want to die though… I never know when my next episode will be and I'm constantly sick. What if next time I freak out, I hurt someone? We've been lucky so far, but our luck is bound to run out sometime. I've lived this way for sixteen years, Sebastian! I don't know if I can live this way much longer…"

"Corinna, don't speak that way, please. We will find a way to cure you. I promise you that."

Corinna pulled away and wiped at her eyes with her handkerchief. She'd remembered who she was and all her memories long ago, but she still wasn't the same Corinna she'd been before the incident. She'd tried everything she could possibly come up with in order to kill herself but nothing seemed to work and it only ever resulted in Sebastian's fury. Corinna couldn't even count the number of events she'd missed out on in her children's life due to her being constantly ill. It was almost as if the demon blood had shot her immune system all to hell, except that no matter how many deadly illnesses she contracted, they never killed her. Most of them only lasted a few weeks and then they'd completely disappear, and if she was lucky, some only lasted a few days or a few hours. But regardless, occasionally she'd slip back into that part of her that craved demon blood, and lately those occurrences seemed to be happening a lot more frequently. It made her wonder how much longer it'd be until she slipped away forever; she knew there were only so many times Sebastian could bring her back.

"Please come eat something," Sebastian said, lifting Corinna's chin so she would look at him. "Everyone has been complaining that you're looking too frail."

"That's because I'm never hungry, Sebastian," Corinna replied softly.

"You have to keep eating. Don't forget that you're still human," Sebastian reminded her meaningfully.

Corinna pulled away. "I'm not human," she snapped. "I don't know what the hell I am, but I'm surely not human. Human beings don't crave demon blood, Sebastian."

"You aren't a monster. You're my beautiful wife, and you're going to sit with everyone and have a pleasant afternoon tea," Sebastian said before pulling Corinna back towards him and connecting their lips in a soft kiss. The contact was gentle and sweet, but nonetheless the kiss sent the pit of her stomach into a wild swirl.

"I hate it when you do that," Corinna hissed, doing her best to glare at Sebastian.

"Mama!" Nevaeh called as she hurried through the garden, waving a piece of paper in the air. "We just got an invitation to ball in four day's time!"

Corinna turned towards her daughter and smiled softly. "I don't think I'll be attending, darling."

Nevaeh blinked at her mother in surprise. "But Mama, everyone is going. Except uncle Ciel of course."

"Your uncle has no choice but to stay at home. Don't you think that perhaps his age would raise all kinds of questions? It's been several years and he hasn't aged a day," Corinna replied.

"Yes, but Mama, you don't have that problem, at least not too much. Most people just assume you look amazing for your age."

"For my age?" Corinna asked, shocked. "You make me sound as if I'm ancient."

"Well you are well past your prime, Mama. No offense, since you look absolutely lovely," Nevaeh smiled. "Please come! Everyone will be sorely disappointed if we don't attend."

"I'm simply not feeling well, Nevaeh. I don't think I'd be up for an entire night of dancing," Corinna sighed, feeling her resolve crumbling as Nevaeh regarded her with those large red eyes of hers.

"Perfect, because you won't have to dance all night!" Nevaeh grinned triumphantly. "Just have Papa fend off all the men who'll be stumbling all over themselves to have a dance with you."

"Perhaps it wouldn't be the best idea if she went after all," Sebastian interjected, causing Nevaeh to laugh.

"Papa, don't be so envious. You should be happy that you have some one as pretty as Mama on your arm."

"Where's your brother?" Corinna suddenly asked, looking up at the terrace when she realized Nicco wasn't attached to his twin like he normally was.

"Oh, Nicco is off at White's doing whatever it is gentlemen do there," Nevaeh responded with a dismissive gesture. "We bought you a lovely hat in town today, Mama. We saw it and knew you had to have it, so I left it on your bed."

"Thank you darling," Corinna smiled weakly. "Although you really shouldn't have, I have plenty of hats as it is."

"Did your brother mention when he'd return home?" Sebastian asked, causing both women to look at him in surprise.

"Yes, he said he'd be home before dinner. Why?"

"You know how important it is to have everyone to eat dinner together," Sebastian answered with a slight smile. "Now come, before the tea gets cold."

* * *

"Nicco still hasn't returned?" Corinna asked as she stepped into the dinning room and gave a quick glance at the occupants of the table.

Nevaeh glanced out the window, worry etching her features as she gazed at the darkening sky and remembered what Nicco had told her earlier.

"I feel as if I'm being followed lately. I haven't seen anyone but that doesn't make the feeling any less real."

Carefully she turned and pasted a smile across her features, internally screaming at herself not to mention a word of it despite how much her instincts were telling her to. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Mama." Nevaeh moved away from the window and lowered herself onto one of the cushioned dining chairs gracefully. "He likes to be on his own now…" She added in a barely audible whisper that wasn't even detectable to her own ears.

"It's just that he's always punctual…" Corinna responded, taking the seat next to her daughter.

"He's probably just having fun and forgot the time," Soma said with a smile and a shrug. "I wouldn't blame him."

"He shouldn't be having fun. He should be here, learning how to run a family business," Ciel stated firmly, glancing at the newspaper in his hand in a manner that showed he had stated his opinion and it should be the only one to matter.

"But Nicco doesn't like to have fun," Nevaeh pointed out smartly. "You know him, he'd rather stay here and read than go out. He only goes to White's because of his friends."

"Oh if only Anne were here," Corinna sighed, resting her chin in her hand. "She'd know what to do."

"Yes, well ever since she married that Lord of who knows where, we haven't received a single word from her," Nevaeh replied grumpily.

"Well, she left for the Americas with her husband shortly after they were married, something about a new business investment. I wonder if she's returned yet," Corinna said thoughtfully.

"At least she seemed quite happy when she married him. I suppose that's all that matters. But honestly, it has been at least ten years, the least she could do was send a telegram."

"Nevaeh, don't be so ungrateful. She sacrificed her most eligible years to care for you and your brother. Don't be upset that she'd sacrifice writing to you while she's trying to begin her own life. She was lucky someone like Lord Kent even offered for her hand in marriage," Ciel snapped irritably. "Besides, I hear Lord Kent is running a very successful hotel in America. Anne is well off."

"Mama, perhaps we should call on their townhouse tomorrow afternoon and see if they're in town this season," Nevaeh suggested.

"Lord and Lady Kent are in residence," Sebastian said as he wheeled the dinner cart into the dinning room.

"What?" Corinna and Nevaeh cried in unison.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Nevaeh demanded.

"They arrived just yesterday. It's only polite to give them time to rest," Sebastian replied, carefully placing a plate in front of everyone. "Tonight's dinner is ptarmigan topped with a white truffle sauce and completed with lightly sugared peaches and nectarines on the side."

"Sebastian, this does look absolutely lovely," Corinna said, staring at her plate.

Before Sebastian could respond, the dining room doors opened to reveal Lau, smiling, as he stepped into the room.

"Lau! Stop showing up at my house uninvited!" Ceil snapped.

Lau ignored Ciel and moved over to the table to look over Corinna's shoulder. "Are those nectarines?" He asked, snatching a slice and popping it into his mouth.

"Make yourself at home Lau," Corinna stated sarcastically.

"Oh no, thanks. I only came to drop something of yours off," Lau answered.

"What?" Ciel asked with returning impatience.

Lau simply gestured in response and Ran-Mao walked into the room slowly with her arm hugging Nicco's waist as she supported him and helped him walk.

Icy fear wrapped around everyone's hearts as they took in Nicco's disheveled appearance and his bloody, matted hair.

"Oh my gosh!" Corinna cried, jumping up in alarm and trying to calm her erratic pulse as she helped Ran-Mao lower Nicco to the ground. "What happened? What did you do?" Corinna demanded accusingly, glaring up at Lau.

Lau shrugged calmly. "We found him in an alleyway. I thought that perhaps I should return your lost property," he replied and turned to leave. "Well then, I'll take my leave." Lau turned and walked out of the room, Ran-Mao at his side.

Seeing Nicco the way he was gnawed at Nevaeh's conscious and she began to wring the napkin in her lap nervously, panic and guilt rioting inside her. She glanced up at her father and their scarlet eyes met briefly.

"Nevaeh, perhaps you should share what you're keeping to yourself," Sebastian said in a way that sounded nothing like a suggestion.

"Only when you tell everyone whatever it is you're hiding, Papa," Nevaeh retorted, her crimson eyes clearly reflecting the challenge she had just thrown at Sebastian's feet.

Corinna glanced up sharply at the both of them, rigidly holding her tears in check while trying to ease the cold knot in her stomach. "Why don't you both tell me what you're hiding?" She spat.

The tension between Nevaeh and Sebastian increased with frightening intensity, and within seconds the temperature in the room plummeted so low that a thin coating of ice was forming over everything and everyone in the room.

"Sebastian!" Ciel ripped out the word in between his chattering teeth with mounting frustration. "Stop fooling around."

Sebastian looked at Ciel and inclined his head in apology. "Forgive me, bocchan. And forgive me," he said to everyone else in the room, especially Corinna and Nevaeh.

Nevaeh slid from her chair, trembling, and she carefully moved to sit by Nicco as the temperature slowly returned to normal.

"He told me he felt like he was being followed lately, but he made me promise not to tell anyone," Nevaeh whispered, tears slowly finding their way down her cheeks.

"Why would he make you promise that?" Corinna asked in horror, dread clawing its way to the rest of her body parts and she reached out to stroke Nicco's forehead.

"Because he's a fool and he wanted to handle things on his own," Nevaeh sobbed. "I told him… I told him he was up against something he couldn't take care of."

Sebastian suddenly appeared beside Nicco's head and he gently lifted him to clean the wound on his head, which was already healing. "I'm afraid this is my fault. An old acquaintance of mine has been frequently coming to see me lately."

"You mean a demon?" Corinna gasped, shuddering inwardly at the thought.

"Yes," Sebastian answered, dipping the cloth he held into the bowl of water at his side before carefully wiping at Nicco's head again. "He was trying to convince me to take up my father's place."

"You mean in hell?" Corinna asked, a wave of apprehension coursing through her.

"Yes, but I refused and he finally came to terms with it. But I'm afraid other demons may be following Nicco, trying to get him to take up my father's place instead," Sebastian answered. "I didn't want to worry you, but now I see that perhaps I should have told you."

"You know I hate it when you keep things from me," Corinna stated angrily.

Nicco moaned slightly and he pushed at Sebastian before struggling to his feet.

"Nicco!" Corinna cried, worry washing over her as she wrapped her hand around his wrist. "Don't stand, you must rest."

Nicco threw Corinna's hand off, his hair covering his eyes as he hung his head. "I'm fine mother. I'll just go to my room."

Corinna's heart skipped a beat and she stared after him in shock. "Mother?" Nicco never called her anything besides Mama…

"Nicco!" Nevaeh called after him, surging to her feet and tripping over her skirts as she ran to catch up with him. "Are you sure you're okay? What happened?"

Nicco ignored his sister and didn't even spare her a glance as he continued walking to his room in silence.

"Nicco, answer me," Nevaeh said tersely, grabbing his arm and pulling him backwards.

In the blink of an eye, Nicco whirled around to face her, his features burning with fury. "Don't touch me," he snarled, grabbing her arm and slamming her up against the wall. "I told you I was fine."

Fear, stark and vivid, glittered in her eyes and her pulse throbbed erratically as she stared at the look of murderous intent burning in Nicco's eyes. "You're not my brother," she breathed.

Nicco raised an eyebrow at her and then turned away with a laugh. "Of course I'm your brother, Nevaeh. Just a little…improved," he said over his shoulder with a smirk before he turned again and continued down the hall.

Nevaeh watched him go…she didn't have the strength to run after him, and she wasn't sure she wanted to either. She gulped hard, hot tears spilling down her cheeks as she watched Nicco disappear into his bedroom through blurred vision. When he closed his door, she yielded to the compulsive sobs that shook her body and she slid to the floor, not caring who heard her cry.

* * *

Corinna sat there in stunned silence for a few minutes before she glanced up at Sebastian. "Why didn't his blood affect me?" She asked slowly, her eyes wide with confusion.

"Perhaps because the twins are half human their blood doesn't have the same affect on you," Sebastian suggested.

"Perhap-" Corinna began before she was cut off by a wrenching sound. She lurched forward, trembling as the misery she felt morphed into physical pain that tore at her insides.

"Corrina!" Sebastian cried, dropping to his knees and cradling Corinna in his arms.

"What's wrong?" Soma asked in alarm.

Corinna gasped in pain, clawing at her stomach and pulling at her hair in distress.

"Is there anything we can do?" Agni asked urgently.

"No," Sebastian replied, hoisting Corinna up and getting to his feet.

"Will she be alright?" Ciel demanded.

"Yes," Sebastian replied quickly before practically running from the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters**

* * *

Sebastian burst through his bedroom door, practically breaking it down in the process, and dropped to his knees to set Corinna on the floor. He gripped her face in his hands and willed her to look at him despite how violently she was thrashing.

"Corinna, look at me, you have to control yourself."

"I- I'm trying…" Corinna gritted out, her head hitting the footboard as she arched painfully and her muscled strained visibly.

Sebastian pressed their foreheads together in order to give Corinna something to anchor herself to.

"Sebastian… you're too close…" Corinna gasped, "Not… helping…"

Sebastian pulled away swiftly and moved to stand across the room. Helplessly, he watched Corinna breath heavily, gasping every few minutes as pain clawed its way through her. "Is there anyway I can help?"

Corinna shook her head violently and gripped at her head with trembling hands. "Sex… won't help…" she croaked as another spasm tore through her, sending her onto her side with painful convulsions.

Unable to watch helplessly any longer, he turned to the mirror behind him to try and busy himself with straightening out his suit. But as he gazed at his reflection in the mirror, he suddenly found himself looking at his father instead of himself. His temper flared suddenly and turned around again; he was nothing like his father. His father had done this to Corinna.

Sebastian froze suddenly as a thought struck him… he was his father's son. That meant that his father's blood ran in his veins. Sebastian stared at his wrist as his father's words from so many years ago rang in his head.

_"The only way to keep her madness at bay is to regularly feed her the blood of the one who granted her eternal life."_

Sebastian hadn't been the one to give her eternal life, but he was directly related to the demon that had. Was it possible that his blood could cure her as well? He wasn't sure why the idea had never occurred to him before, possibly because the risk of her becoming worse was very high, but he had no other ideas how to help her. Sex had worked to help her remember, but now he had no idea how to completely cure her. He was afraid of her being lost to her madness forever, but he was also afraid that his blood could send her into that endless madness. There was still a chance his blood could cure her… was that slight chance worth the overwhelming risk?

Without thinking, Sebastian lunged forward, simultaneously biting his wrist and the moment the scent of his blood hit the air Corinna sprang up and lurched forwards. Sebastian grasped her chin and stopped her in her tracks, tilting her head backwards and trying to ignore her struggling as he carefully let the blood drip from his wrist and into her mouth. Corinna stiffened suddenly, her eyes widening as she slowed the sweet tasting blood and stared at Sebastian in shock.

Sebastian let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding in, "Corinna?"

Corinna remained silent as her breathing slowly returned to normal and Sebastian began to release her incrementally. Watching her carefully, he pulled out his handkerchief to wipe at his bloodied wrist and Corinna simply stood there in silence, looking utterly shocked. She took a deep breath and swayed dangerously before her eyes closed and her knees gave out beneath her.

"Corinna!" Sebastian cried in alarm, quickly reaching out to grab the unconscious woman.

* * *

It had been four long days since Nicco had come home that night, covered in blood, and Nevaeh hadn't seen even a trace of him around the house. At her feet, Nina Hopkins was chattering away about something or other as she made the last few adjustments to Nevaeh's ball gown but Nevaeh wasn't really listening to the pretty young woman at all. Her mind was riveted on Nicco, wondering if he was off getting into some trouble of some sort or something even worse according to the fleeting, dark thoughts that kept revolving around inside her head.

Behind her, the door swung open without even a knock or the question for permission to enter. Nevaeh glanced over her shoulder to find Nicco standing in the doorway; his head bent as his fingers nimbly tied the ascot around his neck.

"You could have knocked. Even if I am your sister it's still quite improper to enter a lady's room without permission," Nevaeh chided carefully.

Nicco glanced up at his sister with a slightly bored expression before giving a casual shrug of his shoulders and stepping into the room further. "I was told Nina was here."

Nevaeh stared at him but he refused to look at her as his eyes were riveted on the woman kneeling on the floor. "Miss Hopkins," Nevaeh corrected.

Nicco glanced up at his sister and smiled, "A little too formal for someone I'm so well acquainted with, but if you insist, darling sister." Nicco gave a laugh as he patted his sister's cheek gently.

Nevaeh's eyes widened in surprise and she glanced sharply down at Nina but her head was bent over the hem of Nevaeh's dress studiously. The woman seemed normal but Nevaeh didn't fail to notice that she had grown unusually quiet the moment Nicco walked into the room. Her gaze flicked over to her brother again, who had decided to sit himself on the end of her bed. "Nicco. A word," she gritted out.

Nicco raised a questioning eyebrow at her but nonetheless rose from his comfortable seat on the bed to follow his decidedly stormy sister out into the hall. The moment the door closed behind him, Nevaeh spun around to face him, her ruby eyes glowing crimson with fury.

"You slept with Miss Hopkins." It was more of a statement than a question, as she already suspected the answer, and her suspicions were confirmed when he smiled at her. "Nicco! How could you? You ruined a perfectly respectable woman's chances of-"

"Respectable?" Nicco scoffed. "Sister, she wasn't even a maiden. Even you should know that considering the rumors milling about concerning her private life. But, there's no loss for her. She's respected due to her talents and society would never dare to cast her out. You're worrying for nothing."

"Nicco, rumors are rumors, you can't just go around believing everything you hear. And-"

"Are you implying that I shouldn't believe the rumors about you being whispered about London?" Nicco calmly interjected.

Nevaeh froze and the color drained from her face. "Rumors? What rumors?" She asked weakly.

"Word has it that you've become the King's newest mistress," Nicco answered.

"That's absolutely absurd!" Nevaeh sputtered. "The king prefers women of more mature ages."

"Exactly, which is why there's talk that you're plotting to unseat the queen and take her place. You may not be a woman of mature nature but you are his ideal type and you can't deny that it is awfully suspicious that you'd be suddenly accepted into his inner circle so quickly," Nicco pointed out nonchalantly.

"The Phantomhive family has always worked closely with the royal family it's only natural," Nevaeh protested. "And you know perfectly well I'd never do anything to jeopardize my reputation or ruin my marriage prospects!"

Nicco bent his head to straighten his coat out and when he lifted his head to look at his sister again there was a pleasant smile across his features. "You're absolutely right. How silly of me to even think of believing such nonsense. Forgive me?"

Nevaeh clenched her fist at her side to prevent herself from slapping that smile right off Nicco's face. Carefully she gathered her composure again and let out a sigh as she crossed her arms and regarded Nicco. "I won't forgive you Nicco. Not until you decide to be a little nicer to me," she stated and moved passed him into her room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Sebastian asked quietly into Corinna's ear.

Corinna turned slightly and gazed up at her husband, her dark gaze looking slightly weary. "I feel fine. Would you quit worrying? The fit has passed and hopefully it will be a while before the next one occurs."

Sebastian inclined his head with a slight smile. "Of course, I'm being ridiculous."

At this, Corinna laughed gently, a warm smile spreading across her face and the weariness in her eyes being replaced with a pleasant shine. "You could never be ridiculous, Sebastian."

"I believe you're incorrect. I distinctly remember an occasion where you actually fell down the staircase at the sight of me in a dress."

Corinna lifted her hand to her mouth and laughed hysterically behind it. Gently, Sebastian pulled a handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped at the happy tears trailing down her cheeks. Pleased to have made her laugh, Sebastian was content to have persuaded her to come out this evening, despite the admiring looks she was receiving from every corner of the room. But one look from Sebastian and the perpetrators would hastily look away and move elsewhere in the room.

What mattered the most was that Corinna was enjoying herself, something she hadn't done in quite some time, due to her fear that she could break into an episode at any moment.

She didn't seem to remember what had occurred the other day other than becoming crazed and then waking up the next morning, perfectly healthy. And Sebastian still hadn't decided if it was best to tell her what he'd done. He wasn't sure if his blood was a permanent cure or a temporary cure, but he had to decide quickly if he was going to feed her more blood, and if so how he was going to do it without her knowledge.

"That was quite a long time ago, wasn't it?" Corinna asked, startling Sebastian from his thoughts. "I don't even believe the twins were born yet," she added thoughtfully.

"No, that was the day I first kissed you," Sebastian answered.

Corinna grinned. "How do you remember things so well?"

"I'm a demon, remember?" Sebastian answered.

"Ah, of course! How silly of me to forget," Corinna laughed softly and then sighed. "My, how the years have flown passed. Nicco is a man now, and Nevaeh is a young woman. Soon, they'll be married and have children of their own." Or at least, Corinna hoped so. The two of them were half human and half demon, meaning that they couldn't fit into either world. The demons would never accept the human side, and how could any human accept the demon side or even the fact that the both of them would live long lives, if not eternal ones? There was so little known about how their lives would progress, it was hard to hold onto that hope that Nicco and Nevaeh would find someone worthy of them and their love.

Corinna had most likely been one in a million that would accept a demon for who he was, but then again she had seen and been through a lot, so falling in love with a demon, hadn't been the hard part. The hard part had been trying to stay with him when everything had been trying to rip them apart. And Nicco and Nevaeh weren't full demon like Sebastian, they were only half, which probably condemned them in every way possible.

At times Corinna wondered what her life would have been like if it had taken a normal course, but she knew in her heart that she would've never been truly happy without the man she had at her side at that moment. Of course, she still wished her children would never have to face the hardships her brain liked to come up with, but at least for now they seemed to be welcomed and accepted, even worshiped by the members of society.

"You're worrying about something," Sebastian said, staring down at her with his penetrating red eyes.

Corinna glanced up at Sebastian. "Have I ever told you how much I hate it that you can read me like a book?"

"No, I believe you told me the exact opposite."

"Well," Corinna shrugged and linked her arm through Sebastian's. "I love it at times too."

"And have I told you that you look lovely tonight?" Sebastian asked, staring down at the dark blue gown that seemed to hug every curve of Corinna's body and even displayed an intriguing amount of her breasts, which partly thrilled Sebastian and partly angered him. It angered him because not a single person in the room could deny that she looked ravishing, and that meant that probably every man in the room who so much as caught a glimpse of her was most likely having the same thoughts about ripping that dress off of her and making her writhe in delight as he was.

Corinna blushed and smiled up at him. "Well, if you think I'm so lovely, why not offer me a dance?"

Sebastian smiled slightly and pulled away to bow to her elaborately. "Would you care to dance, my lady?" he asked, offering his gloved hand to her, which she gleefully took.

"I'd love to," she answered, curtsying to him gracefully before he swept her off onto the dance floor.

* * *

Nevaeh slowly fanned herself as her gaze shifted about the room. Nicco was supposed to be there at her side, he always was, but now she was finding that spot chillingly empty.

It was quite normal for Nicco to hide away in the library later on in the evening, but for the first two sets, she could always count that he'd be right there, ready to dance with her despite how much he loathed it. And even afterwards, he'd be there for a while, offering his arm as they strolled around the perimeter of the ballroom to cool down and socialize a bit before he'd leave her to her many admirers.

But not tonight, tonight he was nowhere to be seen and as a matter of fact, she hadn't seen him all day. He hadn't even ridden with them to the ball so she couldn't say whether he was even there.

She couldn't say much about her brother anymore, she hardly knew him now… Nevaeh let out a sigh, happy that no one was paying much attention to her tonight, and moved over towards the French doors, hoping to catch a bit of fresh air.

"Miss Phantomhive!"

Nevaeh shifted her gaze to the speaker and lowered her fan, giving a gracious smile to the woman who could be considered nothing but lovely, even in her mid fifties. "Mrs. Carter, how lovely to see you."

Mrs. Carter smiled, her face flushed as she tried unsuccessfully to mask her surprise. "Yes, you look quite lovely tonight. I must say that your dress is quite beautiful," she replied, shifting uncomfortably.

"Do you? It's the latest fashion," Nevaeh grinned smoothing out her dress and touching her hair lightly to check that none of her hair had fallen out of the artfully arranged curls on her head. "I had some trouble deciding which color to choose."

"You made an excellent choice. Gold certainly does suit you," Mrs. Carter stated with a small laugh and fanned herself vigorously, her eyes darting back and forth around the room.

Nevaeh's smile faded. "Is everything alright Mrs. Carter, you look quite unwell. I shall go fetch your husband." Nevaeh was already turning to leave and find Mr. Carter when Mrs. Carter frantically grabbed her elbow and stopped her.

"No! You mustn't!" Mrs. Carter hissed.

Nevaeh's eyes widened in surprise as she watched Mrs. Carter and realized that her hair and clothes were slightly askew. She wasn't an expert in matters that concerned sexual acts, but she was fairly certain that Mrs. Carter had just had a fairly good tryst in the gardens. It wasn't uncommon for married men or women to take lovers, but to have a tryst in a public place such as this was utterly scandalous, and even more so if your husband and children are in the vicinity. "Mrs. Carter…"

"Miss Phantomhive, I realize you are quite a smart girl and that you've most likely come to a conclusion about the situation at hand. You understand my hopes that you'd use great discretion in this matter. I know there are rumors about you floating about but I never listen to such gossip and I never spread it," Mrs. Carter said seriously in a low voice, her eyes never meeting Nevaeh's as she straightened herself out.

"No, of course I will never utter this to a soul," she assured the older woman hastily. "The matters you choose to engage in are your personal matters and I have no right to speak of them."

Mrs. Carter smiled gratefully at Nevaeh. "That is exactly my opinion. You truly are a smart girl Miss Phantomhive and I can only hope you'll find a man more than worthy of you soon." Mrs. Carter inclined her head and moved away, suddenly the composed lady she normally was.

Nevaeh glanced out the open glass doors and narrowed her eyes, scanning the darkness for her brother. She had the nagging suspicion that he was behind this and she moved out into the chilly night air to seat herself on the cool, stone bench situated just at the beginning of a small stone path.

Silently she clasped her hands and placed them in her lap to wait patiently for Nicco, but she didn't have to wait long for him to step nonchalantly from behind a maze of hedges as if he had just been out for a casual stroll.

She had hoped it wasn't him… but unfortunately fate was having a grand time with this perverse joke she'd replaced Nicco with and it looked as if it wasn't going to end anytime soon.

"Nevaeh!" Nicco smiled at her and sauntered over but Nevaeh silently raised a hand, causing him to pause in his tracks.

"Nicco. This time you have gone way to far," Nevaeh said, her voice cold with barely contained fury and her eyes flashing. "But I will not say a word since you don't seem to listen to what I say anymore and you certainly don't give a damn about any advice I can offer."

"I have spent my entire life listening to you and doing everything you ask. I'm tired of listening, Nevaeh, I'm a grown man," Nicco spat, his eyes burning furiously as he stepped closer.

Nevaeh was on her feet in a flash, refusing to let Nicco tower over her. "Is that what all this is about? Some stupid childhood inferiority complex?" Nevaeh's hands clenched at her sides. "It's not like I forced you to do anything."

"Yes you did, Nevaeh. You're a manipulative bitch trying to pose as a lady so you can hide the fact that you're not like anyone in that fucking room!" Nicco snapped, pointing furiously at the ballroom behind Nevaeh's back.

"Oh that's rich coming from you considering we're twins. We're exactly the same, you idiot! So if I'm a bitch posing as something I'm not, just think about what you are. At least I'm consistent with who I am! You've become some psychotic bastard, swaggering around London like you own everything!" Nevaeh spat, the air around her growing cold as she stepped closer to Nicco and glared at him.

Nicco glared at her in return for a few moments before pushing passed her and stalking into the ballroom, leaving his sister out in the cold. Furiously he made his way through the crowded room, ignoring the people that greeted him and not even sparing any of the pretty women a glance.

"Nicco! Nicco!" A voice called after him, which he studiously ignored. But it seemed that the owner of the voice would not be ignored and continued to call after him. Nicco cursed violently under his breath and made the quick decision to step into a particularly thick crowd of people. Stealthily, he maneuvered among the bodies, making his way to the wall across from him and the moment he reached it, he sidled along it until he reached a door he was able to duck into.

Carefully he closed the door and a small gasp sounded behind him. Looking to his left and then his right, he could gather that he had just stepped into the women's powder room, but he honestly didn't care, so long as he was away from whoever had been calling him. Nicco turned around to face whoever else was in the powder room and to his shock, he found himself face to face with a beautiful woman.

Her golden hair hung loosely around her face, presumably having fallen out during her dancing and now she was in the process of fixing it when Nicco had intruded. A pair of clear blue eyes, round with shock, stared at him and Nicco couldn't help but wonder why she looked so damned familiar.

"Nicco?" She asked carefully, stepping closer and raising a tentative hand to his face.

The sudden reality of whom she was slammed into him with unbelievable force and he stared down at her, presumably looking like an idiot as he took in her appearance. She was so different and yet the same. Gone where the plain dresses she used to wear and in its place was pale green gown that reminded him of spring and flattered her slender build immensely, giving her breasts the illusion of being much larger than they were. Her face had also changed, as it no longer retained the plumpness of youth, but rather it was slightly narrower now and more womanly.

She laughed in surprise and smiled at him. "Dear lord, it is you! My gosh look how handsome you are!" She cried happily.

Nicco caught her hand and held it before she could touch his face. "Anne."

"So you do remember me," she said softly, her eyes reflecting her bliss of seeing him again. "I was afraid you had forgotten me."

Nicco abruptly let go of her hand and she calmly let it drop to her side.

_"If no one else marries you, I will when I'm grown up; But only if I'm taller than you, because it'd be awfully terrible to be shorter than your wife. I'd get made fun of all the time."_

How silly he must have seemed. He'd only been a young child at the time, but even so, he'd meant every word. And even as he grew older, his feelings for Anne had only grown deeper until one day she was suddenly engaged and leaving for the Americas. It was all so long ago…

"How is your husband?" Nicco found himself asking, though he didn't really care. He hated the bastard, if he was going to be honest, for taking away Anne.

"He's quite well, actually," Anne replied, but Nicco couldn't tell if her face had really fallen at the mention of her husband or if it was just his wishful imagination. "Unfortunately his business has him quite occupied and he wasn't able to attend the ball tonight."

"How long have you been in town?" Nicco asked, wincing inwardly as an abrupt, sharp pain stabbed at his temples.

"Only a few days now. Your mother and sister came to visit me just two days ago, and said you've been quite busy lately," Anne paused and a frown creased her features as she leaned forward and placed a hand on Nicco's arm. "Nicco, are you alright?"

Nicco gripped his head as it throbbed painfully and the room around him buzzed frantically, causing his vision to swim dizzily. "I- I have to go." Nicco gritted out and spun around, hitting the door as he blindly fumbled for the handle. Throwing open the door, he staggered out of the room, swaying violently and colliding painfully with several people as the room tilted dangerously. He could hear Anne's voice calling after him as a painful light blinded him and caused his knees to give out beneath him, sending him to the marble floor with an agonizing thud that jarred every bone in his body. Nicco's entire body burned with horrifying, piercing pain as he lay crumpled on the hard ground and had he the energy to, he would have most likely screamed like a man being chased down by some blood thirsty creature. Anne called out his name and he made every effort to respond to her but so much dark pain was consuming his body that it rendered his lips and every other part of him, completely useless. Nicco's head spun excruciatingly and he made one last feeble attempt to speak to Anne, who he could now sense kneeling beside him, before darkness consumed him.

"Somebody help me!" Anne cried frantically, dropping to her knees beside Nicco and propping his unconscious head in her lap.

Not far from the sudden commotion, Corinna and Sebastian stopped mid-twirl and their eyes met for brief second of horror as they recognized Anne's voice, and then the two of them were running towards the crowd and elbowing their way through the people to get to the center.

Corinna's heart stopped for several terrifying seconds as she realized it was Nicco who was crumpled on the floor, his head being cradled by a hysterical Anne. "What happened?" Corinna cried, rushing to her son's side and shakily knealing down next to him. This was the second time in less than a month that Nicco had collapsed and she couldn't stop the unwelcome flow of tears that trailed down her cheeks as she gripped his limo hand. "Nicco!" she sobbed hysterically, her heart seeming to drop into the pit of her stomach painfully.

Hastily, Sebastian removed his jacket and placed it over Nicco. "Somebody fetch our carriage, immediately."

"What happened?" Nevaeh demanded as the crowd of people reluctantly parted to let her through.

"Your brother just had too much to drink," Sebastian replied, mostly for the sake of the people around them, who, content with the explanation, departed and went elsewhere in the large room.

* * *

Across the room, a pair of silver eyes watched in the shadows, shining with slight disappointment as they watched the seen playing out in front of them. The man shook his head and then shifted his gaze to the young woman standing amid the crowd, watching him. Her read eyes narrowed but she made no move towards him and he made no move to step further into the shadows.

So this is the granddaughter of Asmodeus... she's quite the pretty little thing. He was slightly surprised that she could see through the shadows he'd woven around him to hide his presence from prying eyes, but clearly Nevaeh was powerful enough to penetrate even his powers.

Pulling the brim of his hat lower over his face, he broke through his concealment and swiftly headed for the door before the party occupants would notice.

Nevaeh wasted no time in picking up her skirts and running after the dark stranger, but by the time she stepped out of the house, the man was gone and only darkness greeted her. Her gaze scanned the night around her, searching for any sign of the man and finally she was granted by a brief glimpse of movement off to her left. She hasted after it, moving as quietly as she could, and was led into a maze of dank alleyways that reeked of mold and dead rats.

Nevaeh crinkled her nose in disgust but continued forward nonetheless, her senses probing the darkness around her, searching for any unseen threat that may come at her.

The smallest sound echoed behind her- the sound of hair brushing against a cheek- that would have been undetectable to any human, but she was only half, and for that she was grateful. She showed no signs of having heard the noise and didn't slow her pace until her hand bumped into a wall ahead of her, signaling a dead end.

The man watched her as she raised a hand to the back of her neck, tilting her head back to stare up at the building in front of her. He silently approached her and was almost within arm's reach as she stepped closer to the wall and ran her hand over the bricks as if searching for some hidden passageway.

He paused, gathering himself together and in one swift movement, launched himself at her. But of course, Nevaeh had been anticipating this move and stepped to the side before flashing behind him and kicking him into the wall, where she wrapped the ribbon that had been tied around her neck, around his. Shock coursed through the man and he struggled, fighting for dominance against Nevaeh but she hooked her leg around the back of his and swept the legs right out from under him. He fell to the floor hard, Nevaeh with him, but the ribbon around his neck gave the desired effect and left him absolutely breathless.

Nevaeh seated herself on his chest and stared down at him. "Who are you?" She snapped. "And what have you done to my brother?"

"I haven't done anything," he breathed. "It was the reapers, they altered him."

"Your name." Nevaeh pulled on the ribbon in two different directions, chocking him slightly.

"My name is Damian," he coughed out. "May you please remove this infernal ribbon? It isn't very pleasant and I don't believe that it matches very well with my complexion."

Nevaeh stared down at him with suspicion wavering in her eyes. "You're not going to escape are you?"

"If I truly wanted to escape, I would. A silly ribbon isn't enough to hold be, though it is quite unpleasant," Damian responded with a slight grimace.

Nodding her understanding, Nevaeh unraveled the ribbon from his neck none too gently and then stood. "What do reapers what with my brother?"

Damian pushed himself to his feet and dusted off his suit to the best of his ability before facing Nevaeh, who was a good head shorter than him. "They erased that woman from his records. He grew up the way he did because she had encouraged it, as well as you and your mother but they couldn't easily erase you two so they opted for the servant girl."

"Anne," Nevaeh breathed. "But why? We never encouraged him to grow a certain way."

"You did it without realizing it. Anne encouraged him to read, your mother gave into his whims and coddled him," Damian's silver eyes met with Nevaeh's wavering ones. "And you always took control over every situation, which clearly, over time can result in a mild-mannered young man. An angel, as some liked to call him."

"And the reapers changed that by erasing Anne?" Nevaeh shook her head. "It doesn't make sense."

"Your brother grew into a man he believed Anne would be proud of, erase her from his past, and that never would have occurred."

"And when he saw Anne…"

"He obviously remembered her. Clearly reapers can't be trusted to do anything right," Damian sighed. "Despite what those brainless shinigami may think, you can't simply erase someone of such great importance from a person's life. She was his first love, something not easily forgotten."

"But why?" Nevaeh demanded. "Why would they want to change Nicco?"

Damian's expression darkened but his eyes didn't leave Nevaeh's. "Without a leader, demons are running rampant and taking souls at will, which means fewer souls for reapers to collect. They want to place Nicco in your grandfather's place as soon as possible, but they know as well as we do that your brother is not fit for leadership."

"I'll take his place," Nevaeh blurted out unthinkingly, her breathing uneven. She didn't want anything to happen to Nicco anymore. The reapers had messed with her brother enough, and if it was a leader that was needed to put a stop to their meddling, she'd be that leader.

Damian raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Do you realize what it takes to be the leader of hell?"

Nevaeh's eyes hardened as she stared up at Damian. "No, but I'm willing to do anything to save my brother."

Damian shook his head with a small laugh and then raised his head to stare at Nevaeh again. "You certainly are perfect, but unfortunately it is an ancient tradition for male heirs to lead."

"Then it's time to change that," Nevaeh snapped irritably.

"Ancient traditions can't be changed at will, Nevaeh. Do you realize how many demons would disagree to a female ruling over them?"

Nevaeh felt a sudden sense of helplessness overwhelm her, causing tears to pool in her furious eyes. "Then what can I do? There has to be something!"

An odd feeling suddenly blossomed in Damian's chest, causing him to feel the need to comfort her and he raised a gentle hand to wipe the stray tear sliding down Nevaeh's cheek. "The only other person who can take your grandfather's place is your father and he refuses to do so. It seems as if there is nothing to do unless your mother has another son. I'm sorry Nevaeh. We had hoped your brother was the one."

Damian's hand slipped from Nevaeh's face and he stepped away from her, backing into the shadows.

"Wait!" Nevaeh cried frantically, raising a hand and stumbling forward as if she could grab onto him before he disappeared. "Will…" Neveah gulped silently and then continued, "Will I ever see you again? That is… will you try to keep me updated?"

Damian paused and a brief smile traced his lips before he turned again and took up Nevaeh's hand, kissing her cold fingers gently. "I will be around often, to give you news," he whispered and turned away, the darkness enveloping him like a mother welcoming home one of her children.

Nevaeh stood there silently, running her fingertips along the silky ribbon she still held onto. There was something different about him… and not only because he was a demon. Unlike any other man she'd happened to come across, he seemed to actually see her as his equal. Staring into the darkness where he had just been, Nevaeh realized that equality was something she'd always wanted from a man but had never even recognized it as something she deeply desired. Women were supposed to be slightly inferior to men, according to society, and they were to be just pretty little things on men's arms to bestow gifts upon and bear their husbands children.

But Nevaeh wanted more than just gifts and children, she wanted her husband to be her closest friend and she wanted to be able to have intelligent conversations with him rather than the mindless chatter most women seemed to prefer.

"Nevaeh, what are you doing here?"

She spun around hastily and came face to face with her father, who was looking slightly upset, but it was hard to tell in the harsh darkness. "Father… you startled me."

"You were just speaking to someone weren't you?" Sebastian asked in response.

Nevaeh didn't meet her father's gaze and instead busied herself with tying her ribbon around her neck again.

"Don't suffer any delusions Nevaeh, he's dangerous."

Nevaeh's gaze snapped up to meet Sebastian's. "Why? Because he's a demon?" She scoffed angrily.

"Yes, I know I'm a demon too. But that's exactly why I know what he wants," Sebastian replied tersely. "He only wants to use you to get to me or Nicco."

"I doubt that, father," Nevaeh snapped.

"I specifically told him to stay away and now that your brother has obviously failed to become the leader hell needs, he's going to use you and cast you into the dirt as soon as he has me right where he wants me. I know how demons work."

"Don't think everything is about you, father," Nevaeh hissed and pushed past him. Suddenly she froze where she was and turned to face Sebastian. "And you're different than the others, why can't he be too?"

A silence formed between them with the distant sound of music, laughter and clobbering of hooves reminding them of the party they had left. Nevaeh shook her head when Sebastian didn't respond and turned around to head back the way she came.


End file.
